TIRUCHY: Police on Sunday nabbed a man near Madurai with possession of 6.1 kg ornaments which was stolen from Lalithaa Jewellers in Tiruchy.
Police also suspect that the alleged mastermind of the heist, Murugan, might have been involved in the Punjab National Bank burglary case held in January this year.
A day after a special team of Tiruchy police recovered 950 grams of stolen ornaments which were sold to a goldsmith in Madurai, Ganeshan (35), a resident of Vaadipatti in Madurai district, was taken into custody on Sunday.
Police recovered 6.1 kg of ornaments from him, based on the information given by the mastermind Murugan, who is under the custody of Bengaluru police. Ganeshan had hidden the stolen valuables in his house in Vadipatti.
Speaking to TNIE, A Amalraj, city police commissioner, said, "Including Murugan and Suresh, so far five criminals have been arrested in the Lalithaa burglary case. More than 23 kg out of the 27.68 kg stolen ornaments were recovered by the police within 10 days. Rest of the stolen ornaments will be recovered soon."
The preliminary inquiry with Murugan has strengthened the police’s doubt that he might have had his hand in the burglary at Punjab National Bank at Pichandarkoil near Tiruchy.
In this burglary too, a similar hole was made in the bank’s wall to loot valuables from five private lockers.
The burglars made away with 450 sovereigns of gold from the lockers.
Recovery details:
| October 3 | Manikandan | 4.25 kg |
| October 4 | Kanagavalli | 450 gram |
| October 12 | Murugan | 12 kg |
| October 12 | Muralidharan | 950 gram |
| October 13 | Ganeshan | 6.1 kg |
Total recovery so far: 23.7 kg
Total jewels stolen: 27.68 kg